Ellington

If you've ever seen "Iron Chef America" or "Cutthroat Kitchen," you've probably seen Simon Majumdar. In 2010, Food Network chose the British chef to be one of three recurring judges in the third season of "The Next Iron Chef America." His recurring role led him to make more than a dozen appearances on shows such as Food Network's "Iron Chef America" and "The Best Thing I Ever Ate."

But Majumdar wasn't always the food expert he is today. Like many people, he worked a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job. But at 40, after the death of his mother, stressful changes at work and a mid-life crisis, he quit his job and began a journey to "go everywhere, eat everything." His travels took him to 31 countries in a little over a year. He published his first book, "Eat My Globe" (The Free Press, $19.99), about his travels in 2010.

On his website, Majumdar says he ate thousands of meals and encountered hundreds of different people who showed him food from their different cultures. He ate in places all over the world, from Marrakech to Finland to Mexico.

For his second book, "Eating for Britain" (John Murray Publishers, $19.99), which he published in 2010, he traveled across Great Britain to get to the heart of British food.

Through his work, Majumdar has earned critical acclaim and many awards. In 2011, the United Kingdom Press Gazette placed Majumdar at No. 20 on its "Top 50 Food & Drink Journalists" list. That year, Esquire Magazine in the United Kingdom called his food blog, "Dos Hermanos" (doshermanos.co.uk), the "No. 1 UK Blog That Restaurant's Fear."

Majumdar's newest book, "Fed, White, and Blue: Finding America With My Fork" (Hudson St. Press, 2015, $25.95), chronicles his journey toward getting American citizenship through his food experiences. In the book's tour, he will go across the U.S., including here to Jackson. "Food Network's Toughest Critic" will come to Mississippi for a series of cooking demonstrations and book signings Wednesday, April 29, at Oxford Floral on the square in Oxford, Miss., and Thursday, April 30, in Jackson.

While in Jackson, Majumdar and his wife, Sybil, will go to the Farmer's Table Cooking School in Livingston (1030 Market St., Flora) from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for a cooking demonstration and tasting, the Gathering at Livingston (106 Livingston Church Road, Flora) from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for a book signing and photos, and at 10:30 p.m., he will be the celebrity judge at the Sharp Knife Showdown at Capitol Grille (5050 Interstate 55 N., Suite F). For more information, visit eatyall.com.